As is well known, soils, namely soil surfaces, in proximity to bodies of water, including shorelines and waterbottoms, are subject to erosion and similar destructive action due to normal wave and current action. In addition, unusual weather events, including hurricanes and the like, can result in extreme loss of land. This is well documented in coastal regions, including but not limited to the coast of the state of Louisiana.
It is desirable to have a way to protect such soils, but to do so in a manner which does not itself cause erosion or subsidence to the soil being protected. While the placement of large, heavy objects such as rock, conventional concrete, wrecked vessels, etc. has been used to buffer wave and current action with some success in certain applications, a problem with such materials is that their high density (with respect to water and to the soils on which they rest) causes them to often gradually sink into the soil. Depending upon the setting, more harm than good can result.